[Presenter] Jose Ramos Horta
[vice-president of the National Council of the Timorese Resistance and
Nobel Peace laureate in 1996] gave a news conference in Dili this morning.

[Horta] We have been witnessing the
intensification of a destabilization campaign by top Indonesian military
officials, from the Bali command. Agreements which have been signed since
the one signed by [US] Ambassador Richard Holbrooke in November and other
accords between Interfet [International Force in East Timor] and the TNI
[Indonesian army] with a view to controlling the border, to disarming the
militias, are still being violated. What is happening at the moment is
that Indonesia, a sovereign state, a UN member state, is allowing its
territory to be used as a training base, as a base for terrorist
organizations which attack not only a neighbouring country, the civilian
population of a neighbouring country, but also an international
organization, the UN. This goes against all rules of co-existence between
countries. It is a very serious act which harms further the good name of
the Republic of Indonesia.

We think it is time for the UNSC to meet
again to analyse the situation in Oecussi [enclave] as well as on the
border with West Timor. And if necessary the security council and other
institutions should intensify pressure on Jakarta so that those elements
of the armed forces, who continue to terrorize the people of Oecussi and
continue to want to destabilize East Timor, are really punished. One of
the measures is precisely for the UNSC to decide and set the date for the
creation of a war crimes tribunal. Only a war crimes tribunal can act as a
deterrent to the radical line of the Indonesian army.

[Presenter] We apologize for the quality
of the sound of Ramos Horta's words... We now have Ramos Horta on the line
from Dili. Can we say that the most difficult situation in terms of
security at the moment is in the Oecussi enclave?

[Horta] Well, let us put things into
perspective. When we say (?complicated), tense, it does not mean that we
are on the eve of a frontal aggression, an invasion of Oecussi. After all
it is the an Indonesian colonel, backed by his superior officers in Bali
and Jakarta, who is constantly provoking Interfet, constantly challenging
the UN and putting psychological pressure on the civilian population. What
is happening in Oecussi, in fact in West Timor, is an act of state
terrorism. When a country shelters a group of terrorists - because the
militias, and we all know who they are, are terrorists, killers - when it
shelters these people and uses the territory of a sovereign country to
attack another - this is state terrorism, international terrorism, it is
an aggression against East Timor and against the UN.

[Q] That is why you are calling on the
UNSC to intervene and press the Jakarta authorities.

[A] Of course. We have no conflict
whatsoever with President Wahid. We are waiting for his visit at the end
of February. He will be received with all the honour and dignity he
deserves as a friend of Timor, as a fighter against Suharto's regime - but
there is an army faction which remains unhappy and continues to challenge
the Indonesian president. What is happening at the moment is not only a
challenge to the UN, a psychological war against Timor, but an attempt to
discredit the democratic regime led by President Wahid.

[Q] What is the situation of the
refugees, hostages shall we say, in West Timor - perhaps over 100,000
people?

[A] I don't know if there are more than
100,000 people, perhaps a lot less. We never believed the Indonesian
estimate because they inflated it to justify international aid. But the
point is that Indonesia is still holding hostages, Timorese refugees who
were forced to flee to West Timor, or taken by force. It is the militias,
backed by the Indonesian army - they have been armed, given equipment,
money, barracks, vehicles by the Indonesian army - who are holding hostage
the thousands of East Timorese innocent victims. Once more it reveals the
total complicity and bad faith of certain lieutenants in the Indonesian
army.

[Q] What about the social tension in East
Timor? Xanana Gusmao [president of the National Council of the Timorese
Resistance] yesterday was forced to intervene in Dili. Is it possible to
calm this tension?

[A] Yes, I think so. These are not
demands, conflicts of a political nature. They are small problems which
start - in this particular case in the Pite [phonetic] neighbourhood
yesterday - with a scene of violence between children, primary school or
secondary school age. Other people who should not have interfered, did
interfere and made things worse. So something which started with children,
at a school, developed into a generalized conflict between different youth
factions. Until now, throughout the territory there have been no acts of
political violence. There has been crime and deaths, because of
unemployment, because youths are frustrated. Schools are not open, there
are no jobs, there is no entertainment, there are no cultural or sport
activities - so all this leads to tension and social conflict.

[Q] ...Do you think that in the
short-term it will be possible to revitalize all this?

[A] In the short term no. I believe that
it will take at least six months, I could say six months is short term but
six months is a long time. Some commercial, economic activities are under
way, but they are very limited bearing in mind the demand for jobs - 80
per cent of the active population is unemployed. There is really no
employment in Timor at the moment. Some are farming - at least they are
living from that. The situation at the moment, we can say, is one of
generalized unemployment in Timor. This can probably be changed within six
months, but I cannot be precise because it all depends on the availability
of the promised funds, the World Bank funds and bilateral aid...

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